82801CA

82801CA is a model designation for a type of integrated circuit produced by Intel, specifically a chipset designed for use in desktop computer systems. Introduced in the early 2000s, it was part of Intel’s 800-series chipset family, which supported the Pentium 4 and early Core 2 Duo processors. The 82801CA is notable for its role in enabling advanced features such as AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) graphics acceleration, USB (Universal Serial Bus) connectivity, and support for legacy peripherals like IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) hard drives and floppy disk drives.

This chipset was primarily used in motherboards manufactured between 2003 and 2006, catering to mid-range and budget-oriented systems. It featured a combination of the ICH4 (Intel Chipset Hub 4) southbridge and the ICH4-R or ICH4-RR variants, which included additional RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) support and enhanced USB functionality. The 82801CA was compatible with the Intel 845 and 845G chipset platforms, which were designed to work with the Pentium 4 and early Core 2 processors using the LGA 775 socket.

The 82801CA chipset was manufactured using a 0.13-micron process and included features such as PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) slots, AC’97 audio, and support for up to four USB 2.0 ports. While it lacked some of the advanced features of later chipsets, such as native SATA (Serial ATA) support in its base configuration, it remained a reliable choice for general computing tasks during its time. Today, the 82801CA is largely obsolete, replaced by more modern chipsets with improved performance and compatibility. However, it remains an important part of early 2000s PC hardware history.